The Weekly Daf #100
Horiyos 11-14/Zevachim 2-8
For 12-22 Teves 5756 / 4-14 January 1996
By Rabbi Mendel Weinbach, Dean, Ohr Somayach Institutions
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Sinai, and Mountain Moving at 100
"Sinai" was the title of tribute given to Rabbi Yosef because he had an
encyclopedic command of all the Talmudic sources exactly as they were
imparted to our ancestors at Mount Sinai. His colleague, the Sage Rabbah,
lacked this breadth of knowledge but his sharp analytic ability earned him
a reputation as one who could uproot mountains and grind them together with
his logic.
When the Torah scholars in Babylon needed to appoint a rosh yeshiva they
consulted the sages in Eretz Yisrael as to whether it was preferable to
choose a "Sinai" or a "mountain mover." The response was in favor of Rabbi
Yosef, the "Sinai," because he was like the man who has a storehouse of
wheat while the sharp "mountain mover" was comparable to a man with only
money. "Everyone is dependent on the man with the wheat," advised these
sages, because without this staple not even the wealthy can survive and
without the staple of Torah knowledge there is no material for the sharpest
of minds to analyze and expand upon.
Horiyos 14a
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Footnote:
With this Siyum of Masechta Horiyos we complete the entire Seder of
Nezikin, a total of 682 daf, about a quarter of the entire Shass. With
this, our 100th issue of "Weekly Daf," we have passed the 700 daf
milestone. In these past two years we have attempted to combine the
features of "Sinai" and "mountain moving," by offering our readers glimpses
of both the vast storehouse of information on every daf on the Talmud and
the mountain moving logic which makes the study of Talmud so fascinating.
With thanks to Heaven for enabling us to complete Seder Nezikin we
prayerfully embark upon Seder Kodeshim which begins with Masechta Zevachim.
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Sacrifices and Rewards
An animal designated for one type of korban (sacrifice) which was
slaughtered with the intention of offering it as another type of korban is
still considered a kosher korban and the ensuing sacrificial procedures may
be followed except that the person in whose behalf this korban is being
offered is not considered as having fulfilled his obligation and must
therefore provide another animal.
The first opinion in the Mishnah mentions only the chattas (sin offering)
and the pesach (paschal lamb offered in Erev Pesach) as exceptions to this
rule in that they become totally disqualified for sacrifice in the
aforementioned case of deviation. A conflicting opinion is presented that
any korban slaughtered with the intention of offering it as a korban of a
lesser status disqualifies it as a korban.
The author of this opinion is identified as Shimon the brother of Azariah.
This is an unusual form of identification because sages are customarily
referred to by the name of their father. The reason given is that Azariah
supported his brother Shimon from his business earnings and shared in the
reward for his Torah study. No one can buy a share of the reward for Torah
already studied, conclude our Sages, but he can make such an investment by
creating in advance a partnership such as Shimon and Azariah made and which
many scholars and supporters have made throughout the generations - even to
our own day.
Zevachim 2a
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